Crisis mood in the window industry

The Austrian window market shrank significantly in 2023. Current data from a market study by the market research institute BRANCHENRADAR.com shows that demand declined in both new construction and renovation projects
The weakening construction industry was particularly noticeable in the window market last year. According to the latest BRANCHENRADAR windows in Austria, manufacturer revenues shrank by 7.9 per cent in 2023, although sales prices increased by an average of almost eight per cent. A total of 950 million euros was generated on the Austrian market.
New construction and renovation business were equally responsible for the decline. Compared to 2022, sales in new construction fell by almost nine per cent and in renovation by around seven per cent. Particularly few windows were replaced in single-family homes in the previous year. Demand slumped by more than 18 per cent, reaching its lowest level in the last thirty years. And for good reason: 30 per cent more had to be invested in new windows than three years previously. Government subsidies from the federal and state governments only cushioned half of the price increase at best.

The market situation is not expected to improve this year either, although refurbishment is likely to provide a slight boost to growth. “As window prices are now likely to come under pressure, but demand in new construction will continue to shrink, we even expect sales to fall by around 10 per cent in 2024,” says study author Andreas Kreutzer. “Refurbishment will certainly not be able to fill the dent in new construction,” Kreutzer is certain.